Contagious
by rickmantic
Summary: The Mills lunch time gets interrupted by a sick sheriff. When Henry makes an innocent suggestion to help the blonde, it quickly escalates into a heated physical brawl between the two women. Post breaking of curse, Pre - Swan Queen. Fluff/Whimsical Nonsense/(attempted) Humour One Shot


**Disclaimer: I by no means own Once Upon a Time or claim rights to the characters mentioned.**

* * *

Sheriff Swan's brain was working on auto pilot. Her mind wasn't really processing her surroundings or the people walking by. Finally reaching her destination she sighed in relief before a voice called out for her attention.

"Emma. Here, over here!"

The blonde recognized her son's voice and looked up to see him excitedly waving her to come over. He was sharing the last booth in the diner with his adoptive mother who, not to anyone's surprise, wasn't looking very happy with this little development. Emma waved back and made her way slowly towards them dodging the afternoon lunch rush.

With a sloppy grin she ruffled the young boy's hair before turning to the other occupant. When their eyes connected one set rolled away causing a light scoff from the other set's owner.

"Calm down there Regina. No need to get this excited over me. I was just leaving anyways, getting me some lunch."

"Why don't you join us?" chimed in Henry, ever the mediator. He turned from the standing sheriff to Regina sitting across from him.

"Mom, can she? She is sick", Henry jutted out his lower lip, just slightly because he knows it's better to hold back the full pout for a rainy day.

Regina took that moment to observe the fidgeting blonde. She was holding onto the sofa above Henry's head for balance. Her face was flustered and her mouth was slightly parted, possibly to aid the breathing process due to her nose being constricted. She wanted to say no, she really did, but when Emma sighed in such a pathetically deflated manner, Regina feared the sheriff would faint on her way back. The idea that that she feared _for_ the blonde was put away in her mind to be questioned some other day, preferably when her son wasn't looking at her with big hopeful eyes. Regina nodded and shifted towards the wall with grace. When the blonde didn't move she let out an exasperated sigh.

"We don't have all day, dear."

"Oh", Emma laughed in surprise catching Henry's eyes carrying the same shock, "Oh yes." She glanced sideways only to meet a menu card shielding the Mayor from her eyes.

Emma looked at Henry nervously, attempting to gauge the situation. Henry just shrugged but had a small smile on his face. He suddenly sobered up and dramatically pointed towards the woman hiding behind the specials while at the same time trying to make sure her adoptive mother wouldn't notice. When confusion clouded Emma's features he let out an inaudible sigh before mouthing '_Thanks_'. Emma mouthed back '_Oops_' before turning to Regina.

"Thanks Regina."

The Mayor just hummed in response before focussing her attention on the only person she deemed worthy of it.

"Have you decided on something Henry?"

"I was thinking the seafood pasta; Ruby told me Granny learnt the recipe from Martha Stewart's website." Henry grinned at both his mothers who smiled back in response.

"Very well, I think Miss Lucas is too busy to take our order, why don't you run to the counter and order me the Chicken Special and the Garlic and Kale soup for Miss Swan."

"What, no, I don't want soup, I was thinking their Tuesday Cheesy Bonanz…" Regina's sideways glare silenced the end of that sentence and Henry took the sheriff's loud gulp as his cue to leave, not before a small giggle escaped his mouth.

Regina's eyes followed Henry to the counter and when he waved back she turned her attention to the sulking sheriff, who was absent-mindedly fiddling with the coaster. Shaking her head she extracted the coaster daintily from her fingers and placed it back on the table. "It's good for the cold", Regina commented idly, refocusing on her son who was happily chatting with Ruby.

"Huh?"

With a loud silent exhale she shook her head, "Nothing."

A faint smile graced the sheriff's face at the thought of Regina looking out for her.

"I really am sorry for intruding Regina", the small but sincere voice decided to speak up.

Regina chose to look at her phone in response, "Well, it's a little too late for that apology."

"Jeez Regina! Why did you ask me to stay if you were planning on being extra bitchy today?"

Emma rubbed her temples sensing an oncoming headache and was about to swipe her nose on the sleeve of her jacket when she heard the threatening throat clearing. And yes, throat clearings can be very threatening. When the tissue box was pushed towards her side of the table she blushed slightly, becoming aware of her actions.

"Miss Swan, I think I should make one thing very clear", Emma turned slowly to the Mayor with the tissue covered hand frozen on her nose. The tone certainly sounded like the beginning of a lecture and the woman sure hoped it wasn't titled _Hygiene and Sheriffs: The sublime tragedy_.

When Regina was sure she held the blonde's attention she continued, "You need to start realising that it's not sensible to think of my actions towards you as a result of my feelings."

"Huh?"

"If I do something it's because of Henry, it will always be because of Henry. And I don't like you inferring that I, at some level want to maintain a friendly relationship with you."

"So you wanted me to sit with you… because of Henry?" Emma questioned angrily.

"I don't want him to catch whatever pedestrian illness you are carrying", Regina replied back in the most regal _duh_ manner.

The answer caused Emma to straighten up. "Oh. OK." _Wow_, Emma thought, she really needs to figure out how to stay in mom mode all the time.

"And you should really take better care of yourself, Miss Swan. He spends more than half of his time with you, what you eat, how you behave affects him." Regina continued.

The headache was definitely thumping her forehead with full force now. Emma groaned letting her head fall on the table. For once, she would like to be not in the spotlight, with Regina interrogating her about her motherly traits.

"Regina", Emma whined, "I am sick, can't you cut me some slack please"

"Mom, you should give her a mommy shot", Henry declared.

Emma frantically sat up as Henry settled back in their booth, "What!? No shots, no shots"

Both Mills started laughing and only one of them was making a conscious effort to not be so upfront about it.

"No Emma," Henry said between his laughs, "when I was young and I'd fall sick, mom would give me a mommy shot and it would make me all better."

Emma relaxed at the sight of Henry's glee filled face, but only slightly, she still hated shots with all her guts. Noticing her birth mother's demeanour he continued.

"A mommy shot is when mom would kiss me on my nose. A one hundred percent guaranteed cure", the young brunette bragged.

It was Emma's turn to laugh now, "So your mom would kiss you and it would actually cure your disease, this is rich. Should I start calling you Madame Florence from now on?"

Regina glowered at the snorting blonde before swooping in and kissing the woman on her nose. Emma froze as she felt pure energy flooding through her body; one by one her sinuses cleared and her head felt lighter. Sudden warmth drowned her and when she exhaled there was nothing obstructing the airflow. Her eyes grew twice their size at the implication as she kept on staring between the son and mother with a deer caught in headlights expression.

"H-how", stammered out the woman.

"100%, I told you", Henry looked quite pleased with himself before he heard Ava and Nicholas calling him from behind. When he looked in question Regina nodded and Emma, well Emma was still staring at Regina. Henry rushed towards his friends mumbling a goodbye to both his moms.

"Do close your mouth dear."

Regina's voice broke the trance and Emma shook her head, once, twice. "Wait, magic!" _Duh!_ Emma mentally slapped herself for forgetting she was now part of a fairytale reality show.

"Did you use magic on me?" Emma quavered.

The older woman pursed her lips feigning innocence, "Maybe".

"Well you shouldn't. God, you know better than anyone else that it comes with a … a…" Emma's voice trailed off as something caught her eye.

"Oh my, I think I only cured your cold but not your limited vocabulary."

Emma chose to overlook the last retort as she noticed the Mayor's nose was a lighter shade of red. Her voice carried a hint of nasal quality to it and when Regina casually tried reaching for the tissue box, it hit her like a ton of bricks.

Sliding the box away from olive hands, "You, you took my cold! What the hell is wrong with you?" she bawled out in bewilderment.

"I do not approve of your tone Miss Swan."

"Well your approval can kiss my ass because you are mental. What the hell is wrong with you? You know Henry is eleven not five, he will understand if your mommy shots aren't as effective as penicillin."

Regina for her part just glowered and tried reaching for the tissues again, only to have them slid further to the end of the table by the pale hand on top of it.

"Give it back", Emma gritted through her teeth in a low growl.

Regina narrowed her eyes as her nostrils flared in anger. How could this woman be angry instead of being gracious? Sometimes she could not believe Henry shared his genes with a woman so naturally stubborn and foolish.

"No", she bit back with a tone of finality.

"Regina," Emma warned which only made the Mayor roll her eyes.

"I thought I said No. Now if you can grow up for one minute and hand me a tissue. Not everyone is a barbarian, comfortable smearing bodily fluids on their clothes."

"Regina I am asking you for the last time, give it back"

"Why", Regina hissed in a fit of anger and exhaustion, her clouded mind didn't really understand her need to be so defiant on the subject.

"Cause I don't want you to suffer because I was stupid enough to fall asleep on the cold floor"

A surprised chuckle left the Mayor before she beamed, "That's how you got sick?"

"Regina", Emma threatened again.

"Enough!" Regina placed her head in both her hands taking a deep breath. "I don't have time for your childish nonsense."

She let her hands fall and turned to the blonde, who was… actually Regina had no idea what she was doing. Emma had her eyes closed and her lips were mouthing some sort of gibberish; her eyebrows were crinkled as though she was trying to solve a long division problem in her mind. If Regina wasn't so angry she would have found the expression cute. And just like before, this notion too was filed in the 'think later' cabinet in her mind.

"Miss Swan, what **are** you doing?"

Emma, trying her best to ignore the nagging voice in the background, recalled the events that had taken place during their battle with Cora, _'Conjuring magic is not an intellectual endeavour. It's emotion. You must ask yourself, 'why am I doing this? Who am I protecting?' Feel it.'_

"Miss…" And just like that Emma leaned forward and directed all her concentration into a small peck on the Mayor's forehead. She slowly retracted trying to see if she had succeeded in her experiment.

Sore muscles… _check_, light chest congestion… _check,_ stuffy nose… _check_!

She let out a victorious "Ahaaaa!" which was even punctuated with a loud sneeze that the sheriff had _just _managed to contain in the crook of her elbow.

Regina's eyes widened to a comical size before narrowing down.

"You." the queen growled lowly, "you dare use magic on me."

Emma flashed her best shit-eating grin even though it wasn't really having the desired effect with her still running nose. Furious russet eyes peered into green ones as Regina's hand went forth and caught the lapels of the sheriff's jacket. She yanked the sheriff towards her roughly. When the blonde was close enough she used her hand to turn the charming chin and planted a loud kiss on the woman's flushed cheek. The familiar puff of magic wafted through her body as she felt the uneasiness slip away from her into the woman less than a hair's distance from her. She was lightly shoved towards the end of the seat by the regal woman clearly very satisfied.

Emma banged her fists on the table in anger and whipped her head towards the sniffling brunette.

"Oh, it is on Madam Mayor."

* * *

If people had been discretely glancing towards the booth in the beginning, they were shamelessly staring right now. Henry slowly crept towards the waitress who was watching the scene unfold with her jaw open and the coffee pot, previously in her hand, spread in pieces across the floor.

"What are they doing Ruby?" he squeaked out and all Ruby could do was wonder if they could be drunk at 2 in the afternoon.

Emma and Regina were furiously tugging and shoving each other. It was like watching a fight, only this one was being fought with two sets of angry lips. And people were definitely keeping count.

Regina kissed Emma on her chin and quickly withdrew back. Emma jumped towards the brunette holding her wrists and kissing the squirming brunette on top of her left eyebrow. She hurriedly tried to leave the booth but was caught by the surprisingly strong pair of hands. Regina quickly kissed her golden curls near her left ear as Emma tried to keep her face away from the Mayor. The back and forth kept happening; each time one would kiss the other, the people could see their hair blowing outwards resulting in them hissing _yes_ or _no_ depending upon who they were rooting for. The groans and threats being tossed around were getting louder by the kiss.

"Take that your majesty."

"Oh no you don't sheriff."

"Taste my lip-gloss Madam Mayor."

"Save it Saviour."

After Regina snuck a quick kiss on the blonde's forehead, she hid her face behind the menu and hustled away till her back hit the brick wall. Emma angrily emptied the glass of water trying to wet her now dry lips and approached the concealed Mayor.

"Oh my God, Henry!" Emma shrieked causing the older woman to instantly drop the cardboard and scan the diner for her son. When Henry returned her baffled look she noticed Emma was deviously close to her. And the idiot was smiling like there was no tomorrow.

"Mommy-shot this" she maniacally laughed out and kissed the Mayor on her nose. When the blonde felt her head getting heavy she scooted back to the other side. The whole diner cheered declaring the winner in that moment which led Emma to pump her hands in the air. She stood up, running her sleeve across her nose all the while keeping her triumphant eyes fixed on livid brown ones.

"And guess what, no tissues."

Emma dove through the sea of people blocking her way to the door, chanting _Victory for Swan_ repeatedly. When the bell signalling the sheriff's exit was heard, the defeated brunette let out a loud frustrated cry silencing the whole diner before a cloud of purple smoke engulfed her.

* * *

Emma slowed down after a while trying to catch her breath. Winning had never felt so good and bad at the same time. When her lungs started functioning semi-normally and the wheezing subsided she decided to head home to sleep off the cold. She turned back at the road grinning at the events that had transpired. When she swivelled back she didn't really anticipate the purple smoke filling here eyes, neither was she prepared for the soft hands that cupped her face. Blinking anxiously, she tried to regain her vision but all she could make out was a low _Victory for Mills_ being murmured before a set of lips covered her parted ones.

She could feel the silk-like locks sweeping her face and her nose was infused with a sweet scent of lavender. The Mayor was coaxing the illness out of the sheriff, sucking it gently through her mouth, and the feeling was _definitely_ not unpleasant. Despite the infection leaving her body she felt dizzier than before and found herself falling forward. Her hands slowly approached the brunette's hips to steady the pair while her brain continued to short circuit. The spell was long over but their lips remained locked. When they did part, both had the same mortified expression on their faces but neither made an effort to let go of each other.

"I… you shouldn't have… this doesn't…" the Mayor's half stuttered explanation was cut short by a short silent sneeze causing her nose to wrinkle as her eyes slipped shut.

Emma felt her heart melt by the cute intrusion. Grinning, she closed the remaining distance till every inch of air between them was extinguished.

"Why Madam Mayor, you seem to have caught something contagious," the younger woman breathed out on the blushing woman's lips before re-attaching them with hers.

And this time there was no magic involved in the heat that was spreading through both their bodies.


End file.
